


Stage Set

by Mysterie



Series: Death Note - Second Coming [4]
Category: Death Note
Genre: Crime, Death, Deception, Love, Moral Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 19:39:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3621837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterie/pseuds/Mysterie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I do not own the song "Will You Still Love Me?" By Chicago</p></blockquote>





	1. The Next Step Forward

K looked at the two, not sure what was going on, but she felt that something was different. Was it possible that Kari was becoming friends with L? She wasn't sure, but she was going to watch the two of them more closely. Time seemed to go by slowly for K, who was getting tired of waking up in handcuffs, but as she watched the two she noticed that Kari was spending more and more time talking with L and playing games with him when he'd join her and K. L seemed to enjoy the games more and more, learning the different types and how to play when he wasn't asking them their opinions on Kira and the case. Kari was careful to never give away anything and many times had called K over to hack into databases of the government during their search. For nearly two months, L, Kari and K had done nearly everything together. At Kari's insistence, the three had gone to a local church every Sunday after the service was over and the building was empty. Kari would lead the other two to the alter and kneel. L had done the same, each time, much to K's surprise. It had never occurred to K that L would have any sort of religious belief. After a while, K began joining them as it became routine. It was two days before the two month duration would be up and L was peering over Kari's shoulder around K. Kari was typing quite rapidly and it had caught his attention.  
  
"What is that?" L asked, craning his neck to get a better look as K was obstructing his view from where he sat.  
  
"It's a website I go to a lot." Kari replied as L got up and went to stand behind her.  
  
"Gaia Online?" He peered at the screen.  
  
"It's a sort of virtual community; I go mostly for the forums though to role play."   
  
"Role play? Why would anyone do that?" Kari looked at him with an 'are-you-kidding-me?' look on her face.  
  
"To relax, here, let me show you one I'm currently working on." With a few clicks of the mouse, Kari had brought up a forum page. L read the title of the story.  
  
"What's FMA?"  
  
"Boy, you don't get out much do you? I mean, spending so much time working."  
  
"I do what I enjoy." L said in a tone that was much like a shrug.  
  
"Right. Well, FMA is the acronym for - "  
  
"Full Metal Alchemist." K cut in.  
  
"Have you seen it?" Kari asked, turning to her.  
  
"Yeah, good show, but I prefer Trinity Blood or Blood Plus."   
  
"I believe you two have lost me." L said and Kari grinned at him.  
  
"That's a first. Full Metal Alchemist, Trinity Blood, and Blood plus are all Japanese cartoons, better known as anime."  
  
"I see." 

 

  
  
"You should watch Case Closed. I bet you'd solve the crimes before the lead character does." K said.  
  
"What's that about?" L asked curiously.  
  
"Basically a high school detective who gets turned into a ten-year-old version of himself and has to find a cure while solving cases." Kari replied.  
  
"Sounds like a challenge."  
  
"I've no doubt of that." K remarked.   
  
"Who is this Ninivask character?" L said, peering at the screen with avid interest.  
  
"That's the user I'm role playing with and it's pronounced n-in-ah-v-ah-sk not n-in-ih-v-ah-sk. Anyway, he and I have different characters and, to make it easier to identify them, each character has a color; since there are more characters then colors though there are a couple characters that share colors, but I don't use the same color twice nor does he."  
  
"What do you know of this fellow?"  
  
"Not much really. we just met by chance one day while role playing and hit it off as friends and role playing buddies. We keep in touch, but he isn't on much since he's still only in high school." L said nothing as he stared at the screen before him.  
  
 _Kari role plays more then one character at a time here._  He thought, scanning a passage with four different colors; none of the characters were alike in personality.  
  
 _Is it possible....? If Kari is Kira... does it mean that she hides another personality? From what I've seen, Kari is kind, compassionate, smart, thoughtful, not afraid to speak her mind and fun. Kira on the other hand is vengeful, sneaky, unpredictable, and clever. The only thing both Kari and Kira really seem to share is religion, according to J, and being smart. It's hard to imagine that Kari is Kira based on this, but it wouldn't be unheard of since Multiple Personality Disorder is a common disease in women. As far as I've seen thought she's shown no sign of having such. Not even when I handed her a notebook that resembled the Death Note._ The memory flashed in his mind.  
  
 _As I recall, she actually seemed a bit frightened at seeing it and it wasn't until I reassured her that it was just an ordinary notebook would she touch it. How could she be Kira if she's afraid of just touching the Death Note? It's not possible._  L shook the thoughts from his head.  
  
 _I should be careful, getting too close to her could be dangerous, but it's hard not to like her. So far she's proven to be a hard worker and very dedicated. If she is Kira and this is just an act then why hasn't she tried to find out my real name?_ That is Kira's current goal after all. Kari seemed oblivious to the fact that L was now studying her rather then the paragraph that she was currently writing in response to her role playing partner's last post. 

 

  
 _Things could get very complicated very quickly.... Especially if my suspicions turn out to be true._  L shifted his position to get a better look at her profile while she typed.  
  
 _A girl like her might have anyone that she wants. She's smart with an unmistakable kindness to offset what might be seen as calculated smarts. She's no super model, but she does have her own sense of beauty..... No, I should keep my focus on the task at hand. It's not going to be easy to see her as a possible killer, but no matter how I look at this there is still that possibility._ Kari tried not to fidget as she knew all too well that L was watching her.   
  
 _So far things haven't worked out quite the way I had first planned. With K here it's nigh impossible to even say anything remotely to L about hypnotism. K's just too suspicious for that; she doesn't know it, but I've noticed that she's been watching us more closely since that game of Kings in a Corner. I can't risk it no matter how much I want to. Even so, I'm beginning to re-think this whole thing. Even if I do get his real name from him do I really want to kill him? He's not really done anything wrong to me and it's not like he has any proof.... Yet, how can I be Kira and not want to be rid of L, my biggest rival? This doesn't make any sense. I shouldn't get too close to L; I didn't even want to be friends with him, but he's so easy to like... I can't avoid liking him at least._


	2. Complications

Kari sat, toying with a pen as she stared at the latest death reports; it had been only a week since the announcement and she was a bit on edge.  
  
 _Things are moving more quickly then planned. I need to figure out my next move now that the nations won't hunt me down. This means that L is now the one who is being hunted. Ugh, damn it! Why do I have to care?_ She closed her eyes; for all purposes from the very start she'd killed strangers. The only exception had been Rick Olen, who'd been a former classmate, but she'd had no emotional attachment there.   
  
 _What a pain this all is. Hard to think that it was only two years ago, 2009, that Light Yagami, the original Kira, was taken down by Near; known then as N and is now the current L. I was just graduating from high school and going into college when he nailed Light. Luckily for me, Light kept in touch, right up until those last two months anyway._  Kari set the pen down without even opening her eyes. She lay back in the chair.  
 __  
Even then he'd made plans and had revealed everything in that one e-mail that he'd set to be sent only if he didn't log on to the computer and imput two passwords. One for the computer security and the other for the hidden timer. I can't remember ever having to read so much in one letter before, but it's thanks to him that I am who I am now. Like it or not, just as with Light, my word is becoming law.  
  
"Are you feeling okay?" Kari opened her eyes to find L hovering over her.  
  
"Just stressed I suppose. It's frustrating not being able to move so openly against Kira. I don't even know how we'll keep working at this. I mean, I make a good living working for J, but it's not enough to support chasing after Kira as well."  
  
"Don't worry about that." L replied. Kari smiled and moved to sit up right just as L was shifting from behind the chair to say something more. Her sudden movement caught him off guard and he pitched forward. L caught himself on the chair so he wouldn't land on top of Kari, but at the same time the momentum of his sudden loss of balance had caused his lips to brush against hers as he'd fumbled to regain his balance. The two just froze where they were and time seemed to freeze with them as shock kept either one from moving for the longest moment. L was the first to recover from the shock. He withdrew, not meeting her eyes. He hadn't meant for that to happen! 

 

  
 _He just...._ It was all she could think at that moment. Of course she knew he hadn't planned that anymore then she had, but the result had left her stunned. Kari watched L, he wasn't looking at her, but at the report that was on the table. Though she'd regained her composure as much as he had, inside her feelings were in turmoil.  
  
 _Oh no... I can NOT fall for L... this is beyond crazy! I might as well give up being Kira now if I do that. No, I can't think that. Maybe I'm just over stressed from school, working with L and being Kira. That must be it. I need a break from it all._ Kari stood up.  
  
"I'm going to get some lunch, do you want anything while I'm out?"  
  
"No thanks." L said after a moment, not looking at her. It wasn't until he'd heard the door click shut that he took his eyes off the report and sat in the chair Kari had recently vacated.   
  
 _This is getting out of hand. What can I say to her? It's obvious that she isn't offended by it, but it was an accident... She didn't seem upset by it though either. Could it be that she has some affection for me? It doesn't seem likely considering our age difference, but aside from that it's not impossible. Lawfully speaking we're both adults so there'd be no reason not to ask her out. What should we do though? Where could we go that would be safe for us?_  L wondered, his eyes drifted closed as he mulled over the turmoil of thoughts and feelings that bubbled beneath the surface of his calm gaze. So many questions raced through his mind and though it had been fleeting, he could swear he'd only to lick his lips to know the taste of hers.  
  
At that same moment, Kari sat on a park bench, all but oblivious to the world around her. She watched couples, young and old, stroll by. She was only human after all and like so many, she had dreams of being loved and raising a family.  
  
 _As Kira that's pretty much out of the question. It'd be nigh impossible to keep such a thing secret from a husband or kids forever. It has to be one or the other, but not both at once. That I've kept L in the dark this long is an amazing feat in itself. If only I had a Shinigami to talk to or something..._ Kari sighed inwardly. What had once been a very simple matter of survival had suddenly become a very complicated battle of wits in only a span of a few seconds.  
  
 _If life were a game then the ultimate riddle would be the factor of the human heart. God help me to do what is needed to be done._


	3. Betrayal

Kari sat at one of the three computer in the room, she was going over files again; she'd been over them many times, but she wanted to make sure that she hadn't missed anything. As Kira, she couldn't afford to slip up now. L was busy at his own computer, the third one at the far end. Why he'd chosen that one, Kari couldn't say. He was odd at times and this was one of those times. At the sound of the door opening, Kari looked up to see Watari come in. He was holding a letter.

"Mail for you miss. I found it lodged between one of the front doors." L turned at that. Who would know that she was here? There weren't many people as Kari had few living relatives in the state, let alone the area. Kari, clearly puzzled, opened the letter. There was no name, save her own on the front. There was absolutely nothing except a three by five card that said:

November 2nd, 2:00 pm 

L looked over Kari's shoulder at the card.

"What does this mean?" Kari shrugged. 

"Beats me. I don't even know who it's from." Kari said, flipping over the card only to see a seal that had a serpent that was draped over a cross with a skull and cross bones at the bottom. She frowned thoughtfully, but she knew who it was from. The symbol belonged to the gang headed by Cain. 

_Blast... This better be good Cain...._ Kari thought.

"I'll file it away. Who knows what it could mean?" Kari said with a shrug and moved over to the filing cabinet on the far side of the room. At the last minute she shifted and pocketed both the envelope and the card, tucking them into her shirt. No one would notice the difference as she shut the cabinet. 

"I think I've seen that seal before some where." L said, then turned to Watari. 

"See what you can find on seals and symbols of known gangs." 

"You think it's a gang symbol?" Kari asked.

"Possibly. If not, there's only one other possibility though that is unlikely." 

"What is?" 

"That Kira has adapted the seal. If this is the case, why would she send something like that to you?"

"If it did come to Kira, it could be a death threat.... or promise." L pondered her response a moment.

"Possible, but again, unlikely. If Kira does know we're here, why would she announce her presence? It doesn't seem to fit the pattern. Kira would most likely rather to stay hidden and not have it known that she was nearby. Especially not since she's trying to uncover me. No, Kira has proven to be too smart to make such a ridiculous move as this. Too many people around and too much of a chance of being seen; even at night." Kari couldn't argue with that. She'd been at the headquarters only a couple months and she'd already seen how heavy the traffic of people was on the streets and sidewalks. 

 

 

 

Later that afternoon, Kari took a walk among the streets; heading towards a small bookstore that was positioned two blocks away.

_Curse them for their ill-timing._  She thought as she shredded the envelope and the note before tossing it into a trash can that sat next to a mailbox.

_They probably want more pages, but they won't get them unless I need them. I might have a future need for that gang; come to think of it, I believe I'll send them a message back._  Kari passed the bookstore and slipped into an electronics store a couple shops down. When she came out she had a small sack; glancing around before slipping into a small alleyway. At the sound of footsteps behind her, she slipped out a small piece of paper from the long sleeve of the shirt she wore, even as she turned to see who was coming. Two bikers in black leather jackets, shirts, and pants, stood before her. One was balding, but like his companion he had bulging muscles. 

"Well, lookie what we have here Rock." Kari pulled her cell phone from her purse and flipped it open.

"Make one wrong move and I'll call Kira." She said boldly.

"Yeah right!" The bald one laughed as the two slowly advanced on her. Kari stood her ground.

"You want proof? Why don't you just give me your name if you're so sure I can't call Kira."

"My name's Calvin Oreo." The bald man said.

"Is that your real name?" Kari asked as she backed up a step, writing the name on the scrape piece of paper.

"Sure is doll face." Kari turned the paper so he could see it.

"Is that how you spell it?" The man paused and looked at her handwriting.

"You're pretty smart. Yeah, that's how you spell it." Kari hit a button on her phone, the number her phone speed dialed was out of service, but of course they wouldn't know that. The phone stopped ringing after two rings and she put the phone to her ear, speaking aloud so that the two men could hear and wouldn't hear the message of the disconnection. 

"Kira? It's Kari, I want you to take down the bald guy in front of me. Can you do that for me?" She paused a moment. Her pause was just enough and she'd barely had time to finish the question before the man fell over; dead from a heart attack. His partner stared at her in mortification. Kari stared him down, daring him to speak.

"Do you want to be next?" The biker shook his head vigorously.

"Then you'll keep your mouth shut about this whole thing. If anyone asks, just say you didn't see a thing and you never met any girl or anything. Got it?"

"Y-y-yes ma'am!" The biker stuttered and then took off out of the alleyway. Kari took a side street to a different alleyway to avoid being seen by anyone else. Her cell phone rang then and she answered it, knowing who was on the other end before she did.  

 

 

2 weeks later

 

Kari stood on a street corner near a cafe. A man with brown eyes and red hair approached her wearing a brown suit.

"Hey, right on time." Kari said in a low tone.

"You have something for me?" He asked.

"Sure do, she sent it especially. Give your boss my regards." Kari said as she handed him a letter sized envelope. She watched him go; the people around her were minding their own business.

_Too easy._  She thought as she strolled into the cafe to order lunch. Meanwhile, at the other end of town, Cain was pacing his office. In his mind he replayed the conversation he'd had with Kira over the phone. 

*flashback*

"This is Kira. Your timing is off, but your warning has served its purpose." 

"So, that girl really does know you..." Cain trailed off, slightly shaken.

"Of course. Never mind the girl, what do you want Cain?" 

"I just used up the last page. I thought you should know." 

"Fair enough. I will have Kari send you something soon. Be on the look out for her at the corner cafe." Before he could ask when, he heard the click; Kira had hung up.  

*end*

_Kira will pay if I have any say in this._  Cain thought as a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in!" He called. Snipe, his double agent, came in wearing a brown suit, which was most unusual for him. 

"You going somewhere Snipe?" Snipe seemed to ignore the question as he moved towards Cain.

"I have it, just like we were told." He said and set the envelope on Cain's desk then pulled out his pistol. Aiming it at his head. Before Cain could do more then get to his feet, his agent pulled the trigger.

 

 

 

  
"Curse you Kira!" Cain snarled and turned to the envelope, tearing it open angrily. A small recorder was inside. He hit the play button only to hear Kira's sultry voice.

"Don't hate me for this Cain. It's a waste on him. Your spy was really working for the FBI. Check his pockets. I'm sure he has his badge on him." There was a pause in the recording, Cain noticed, as he searched Snipe's pockets for a badge. Just as the recording continued, he found it.

"Consider this a token of my thanks for helping me out. As promised, I'm keeping my end of the bargain by not killing you. Try a legal business from now on Cain. If you and your gang don't I'll eventually be forced to go back on my word. I own the world now, don't forget, or you'll pay." The recording ended there. Cain tosses the badge on the body of the man he thought he could trust and had for years. He wasn't sure what spooked him more; Kira's ability to kill or how she knew things most people would never know or figure out in their life times.

L sat in the middle of the room, one finger twirling the ends of his curly hair. Kari found the gesture cute, but she knew it also meant that he was in deep thought. Rowan Charles, the FBI agent she'd killed for Cain, had been reported missing all of the sudden. Kari paced the floor between L and the small couch that faced the TV. She was terribly bothered by this as she'd discovered that Rowan had been a father of four.

_No matter how I look at this it had to be done; both as a gesture of compensation and as a warning so that he wouldn't think to avenge his brother._ A knock on the door interrupted their thoughts; even without K's presence, Kari knew she was playing a dangerous game in "helping" L. She had yet to finish her studying on hypnotism. She answered the door.

"Watari." He held a cell phone in one hand, the fingers of his other hand were over the mouth piece. 

"A gentlemen has claimed that he knows some vital information about Kira and refuses to speak to anyone but L." Kari moved out of the way so that he could hand the phone to L. 

"This is L." 

"Call me C.R. I can't reveal my real name to you for fear that Kira might learn of this." Came a nervous voice. Kari moved to sit next to L; he only glanced her way briefly before tilting the phone so that she too could hear.

"That's not likely, but as you wish. You said you had some information?" 

"Yes." Kari froze, she knew that voice and knew that she'd been betrayed.

"Yeah, my boss got a letter from Kira with instructions on it about three or four months ago." 

"Instructions for what?" L asked.

"How to kill, who to kill and something else... I can't remember."

"Can you produce this letter?" There was a pause.

_No... I can't... I wasn't thinking straight... I burned it... damn it._  Cain thought as he paced the luxury hotel.

"No, he burned it." Cain replied.

"I see, do you have any proof of contact with Kira?"

"Yes, a recording she sent before she knocked off the FBI agent that was in the boss' former gang. We've disbanded now."

_So, you're working on your own Cain; good for your former men, but bad for you._

"I will have a trusted agent meet with you at the Dorant Cafe." 

"No, not there.... how about the lobby of the Pernel Hotel?"

_That's half way across town. Why would he request that?_  L wondered.

 

 

 

"Very well. Bring the evidence, is tomorrow at four o'clock good for you?"

"Yes, thank you." L heard the relief in the man's voice and then the click as he hung up.

_What is this man scared of the cafe for? Could it be that Kira is closer then I thought?_  L handed the phone back to Watari, sparing a quick glance at Kari; she seemed to be lost in thought and didn't notice.

_Kari.... are you really Kira? It's hard to imagine, but... so far the evidence I need to prove it has eluded me and you've barely left this room since agreeing to being chained. Were you the one to propose that in order to clear yourself from suspicion? If so then you're clearly Kira, but you don't carry a notebook with you and no one found any paper on you when you first came. It's possible that you did set all that up, but even if you did how is it that you spend so much time here and there is never any paper found except ordinary writing paper? You can't be Kira without the Death Note._  

_It seems that I'll have to kill you after all. Sneaking paper in has been easier then I thought. What better place to hide it then in the folds of a woman's "napkin" or in the tubes of tampons? No one in their right mind would ever look close enough to realize that they'd been opened and resealed. To do this though I will need a larger sheet then I normally use; which means I'll have to some how retrieve the Death Note itself. But how? There's no way I can get to it with L here; that'd be like announcing to him that I am Kira. I have to do it soon too.... curse it all._ Kari made several trips that night into her bag with L watching. Each time it had been to retrieve one item or another. She kept it up for hours until she was absolutely sure he had finally stopped glancing her direction each time she went to get something. It was two in the morning when she finally took the risk and retrieved the Death Note itself. L was working on one of the computers when she did.

Kari lifted out a metal case from her suitcase, it made no sound; the metal was impervious to x-ray and metal detectors; made of a foam based alloy that allowed x-ray to see it only as a dark spot, which was why it was at the bottom of her suitcase snuggly fit against the side; held in place by the many clothes she'd packed so that her case could pass through an x-ray without suspicion. Kari quickly wrote her plan in the Death Note and then added Cain's name. She then hid the Death Note beneath her clothes; just in case anyone thought to look her way as she went for other things. For added protection, the case that hid the Death Note had a false bottom that couldn't be pried open or tipped upside down, but only opened by loosening screws held tight by a three digit combination lock. Kari took no chances around L and had thought carefully about every possible scenario when she'd packed.

_Every scenario but this one. I didn't count on falling for L. I didn't think it possible. It presents a real problem because now I can't kill him. Unless I can change my feelings.... L... I can't kill you even if I wanted to because I don't know your real name. Before I pass the Death Note on, I intend to find out. At least then I will not be alone in my final moments... If I must kill you then you will not go alone. Light's Shinigami once said to him that humans who use the Death Note do not go to either heaven or hell, but that's not true. After all, the soul must face Judgement Day in the end. Therefore, all souls shall end up somewhere; be they blessed or cursed. Even Light Yagami shall face that; though he went insane from having this power, his mind couldn't handle it. He thought himself a god, but I have no such notion for there is but one God and it is not me._   


 


	4. Belief

Kari stood on the nineteenth floor in one of the unused rooms. Her calm gaze, as she looked over the city in the fading sunlight, didn't betray her thoughts.  _Did you fill this thrill of power Light? Was it this that made you think you could be God? I have to admit that there is nothing I know of that is quite like this, but unlike you, Light, I find that my growing emotions for my adversary are stronger and continue to grow with each passing day. It's been near a year now since I began working with L. I still don't know his real name nor have I made an honest attempt yet. The worst thing to happen has. I have fallen in love with L, which means one of two things now. I can either cease to be Kira, burn the Death Note, or I can confess the truth; aware that doing so consigns me to death._ Kari's thoughts were interrupted by a rap on the door and she turned to see Linder, whom she'd been formally introduced to months ago, holding a note out to her.  
  
"Oh, thank you." Kari opened it only to find a simple note that appeared to have been scribbled either in a hurry or by a nervous hand:   
  
Dress nicely please.  
Room 317  
6:30 pm  
  
 _Dress nicely!?_ Kari glanced up, puzzled, but Linder was gone. As far as the SPK members knew, she wasn't suspected of being Kira and was a great asset to the team. As Kira, she could wipe out the SPK team in a day; leaving only L alive, but such a move would peg her as Kira to L. Kari sighed as she returned to the room she shared with L. Aside from housing computers, there were two separate bedrooms and Kari had taken advantage of using the other room for it was there, beyond range of any bugs, that she was Kira.   
  
 _It is getting harder and harder to find targets. My word has been taken seriously. It is time that I create a tape, I think. How I shall do this though without anyone knowing I am uncertain. I have to, somehow. For now, I'll merely accept this invitation and pray that nothing goes wrong._ Kari had taken great care in her appearance; she wore a deep blue, sleeveless dress that had a high v-neck; it was made to appear revealing without actually being revealing. The skirt swayed gently just above her knees and would puff out several inches if she twirled. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders and back, she'd also applied a subtle color of lipstick to her mouth and a bit of blush to her cheeks, just enough to give them color. Kari didn't even need to knock when she got to the room as the door opened as she stopped in front of it.  
  
"You are expected miss." A butler said. Kari nodded and moved into the room beyond, not knowing what to expect next. The room itself had been cleared of things, but a large single table sat on a balcony.  
  
 _Much like the one that cop fell off of._  Kari thought, but this balcony was bigger in comparison. The table was small, round, and draped with a white cloth. On the table was a single red rose in a clear vase that sat between two white candles. Next to the table, in a silvery white tuxedo, was L. He'd been over looking the city to calm his nerves moments before she'd arrived. As he'd heard the butler open the door he'd turned. She was a vision to behold, and, for tonight, he would put aside any suspicion he had of her and merely enjoy the evening as planned. Though it didn't show, he was relieved when her stunned expression became one of delight. Kari could scarcely believe, as she slowly approached him, that a dream she'd once confessed to Linder, was being played out before her very eyes. When her gaze met his she forgot that they were the most intense of rivals; that they weren't just like any other couple. Looking at the two, as L pulled out a chair for her before seating himself, one would only think that they must have somehow gone back to a time where women were ladies and men were gentlemen.

 

  
Two weeks later, L emerged from this bedroom to the sound of music that sounded almost familiar. Kari was sitting on the couch watching a show. He moved to stand behind her in time to see a man in a brown suit join a scraggily looking trucker in his semi-truck. L watched for a moment, waiting for a pause, but it didn't come. He waited until the credits appeared before speaking.  
  
"What was that?" Kari turned, not at all surprised to see him.  
  
"A detective show." Kari hit the stop button on the DVD remote and turned to him as she continued.  
  
"One of my favorites actually, sort of a Sherlock Holmes thing I guess. I never really could get into those books, so I guess Monk is my version of Sherlock. It's one of two actually since I also, until they stopped showing it, followed Case Closed years ago. I study the methods both use as detectives to solve cases. Just as I followed the Kira case from start to finish." Kari shook her head and sympathetic sadness was in her eyes as she spoke.  
  
"It's hard to believe that the original L was killed; that after solving so many cases and working with him one-on-one that the Japanese police didn't heed his suspicions of Light."  
  
"So, you've seen the movie then."   
  
"Yes, though I have to wonder who named it. If you ask me, a better suited name would have been Kira: The True Story of the Death Note Horror, or even Death Notice: The Story of Light "Kira" Yagami. "  
  
"That's harsh, but you make a good point. Still, Light was a mastermind, if a criminal one."  
  
"Putting 'criminal' before the title would be more accurate."  
  
"Indeed." L agreed; only seeing a certain shift in his stature told her that he was off thinking.  
  
 _Strange, I know your movements so well, and yet, I cannot say I know your name._  A slight chuckle made her realize that she'd voiced her thought aloud. Kari colored slightly in embarrassment.   
  
"I didn't mean to say that aloud."   
  
"Well, there is truth in your statement. No one alive knows my real name." L replied.  
  
"It's a wonder you haven't forgotten it yourself." L shrugged at the statement and Kari glanced away suddenly.  
  
 _So, you won't tell me out right of your own will... at least not yet. Do you really distrust me so? Or are you just being cautious? A month ago I would have done anything to know just to be rid of you. Now... now I just want to know as a symbol of your trust._  
  
"I should probably tell you that the whole handcuff thing was my idea. Rather, the handcuff part was anyway." Kari said suddenly.  
  
"You suggested the handcuffs? Why?" L asked, remembering that the handcuffs hadn't been his idea, but he couldn't remember if K or J had said anything about who had suggested the cuffs.  
  
"To clear your name in J's mind."  
  


 

 

"What?!" Her answer caught him off guard, genuine shock in his eyes.   
  
"The truth is that J suspect you of being Kira." Kari said, not really looking at him; he got the impression that she felt guilty for the deception.  
  
"I see." The shock faded from his expression.  
  
"K did some digging and it revealed a bit of news that didn't sit well with either her or J." L waited for her to go on; he could tell that it wasn't easy for her to say. She turned to look at him as she spoke.  
  
"I couldn't believe it myself really, but there was no other explanation. Light Yagami's partner in crime, Teru Mikami, was perfectly healthy before he went to jail and then suddenly he died of a heart attack. L, J and K based their theory off his death; one that can only be logically attributed to the Death Note and the timing of it all places the deadly books in your hands." L didn't respond to that since he couldn't truthfully deny having possession of the two notebooks at the time; one being the Death Note and the other being a regular notebook that had his real name in it.  
  
"I suppose you want to know the truth. Of course you couldn't prove it."  
  
"No, I couldn't and I don't intend to try." Kari replied.  
  
"I did kill him using the Death Note. We had to test it somehow, to make sure that it was the real thing. He would have spent the rest of his life behind bars as it was for being a willing accomplice."  
  
"What was it like? Writing his name... waiting for news of his death?" Kari asked hesitantly.  
  
"It was like nothing else; it was really nothing to just write down his name, but after the news came that he died... It was mortifying. I could barely stand to touch the thing. I can't imagine how he could have lived like that or how anyone can."   
  
"I can." Her voice was quiet, but she could tell she had his attention then.  
  
"It's a simple concept really; I mean, you think of someone as you write down their name. You don't have to do anything at all. Not even imagine the death or assign a time or day. It's so simple a concept that a child could do it, but most would be to scared to."  
  
"And you?" Kari stared at him like he's sprouted a new head or something.  
  
"Are you kidding?! I can't even hold a gun without flipping out!"  
  
 _Of course that's not entirely accurate..._  
  


 

"You can ask J if you like. He took me to my first shooting range... my last as well."  
  
"I might do that, but for now I'll take your word for it."   
  
"Is that your way of saying you suspect me of being Kira?"  
  
"I cannot rule out the possibility since Kira could literally be anyone."  
  
*imagined scenario*  
  
"What if I am then? Would you still love me? If I'm Kira?" Kari asked.  
  
"If you were... my feelings for you wouldn't change. Yes, I would still love you."  
  
*end*  
  
"I see." Kari said after a moment, shaking her version of the conversation from her mind.   
  
"I can't claim to be happy about this, but I don't hold it against you either." Kari stood up as a sound, something like voices, could be heard to be slowly rising in volume. She rushed to a nearby window and looked down. Multitudes of people were gathering around something in the streets that was made of bronze metal.   
  
"I need to get a look at this." Kari said, moving to the door even as L glanced out the window she'd left.  
  
"Be careful."   
  
"I will be." Kari said and was out the door before he could say more. She went down to the second story and into one of the rooms, using a card key L had given her. A large crowd was gathered outside around a bronze figure. The figure itself was cloaked and had no distinct features, their face hidden, but in one hand was an open book and in the other was an eloquent feather pen. From the back of the figure came a pair of large bird wings with red and black painted feathers that stood out. The crowd chanting as one.  
  
"Long live Lord Kira!" The phrase repeated over and over.  
  
 _Oh great, just what I_   **don't**   _want.... a cult following._  Kari's phone rang and she stepped back into the room, not caring to be spotted by anyone who might look up by chance.


	5. Response

"Yeah?"  
  
"Have you seen the news?" It was J.  
  
"Didn't have to, I'm in the middle of one."   
  
"There too?!"  
  
"A crowd of maybe four hundred or more." Kari replied.  
  
"Son of a.... Why didn't you call?!"  
  
"You got to it first. I was with L near the top. I'm on the second floor now."  
  
"Any idea on the reaction?"  
  
"Not a good one." Kari replied solemnly.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"If Kira is a real Christian the last thing she'll want is an occult full of worshipers."  
  
"Good point, I'd forgotten about that."   
  
 _Now, what to do about them...._ Kari wondered..  
  
"Any idea of what she might do?" Kari asked; hoping that J might provide her with ideas.   
  
"My guess would be we'll be hearing from her soon." The sound of a door opening made her turn.  
  
"I'll talk to you later, I'm wanted upstairs." Kari pulled the curtains closed even as she flipped her phone close, ending the call. L moved over to her.  
  
"It's dangerous for you to be this close L; the worshipers are not peace makers."  
  
"I wouldn't expect them to be. Pity, it was such a wonderful evening." Kari smiled.   
  


 

"Yes, despite everything it's been lovely." Kari said as she closed the distance between them. L started slightly at the look in her eyes and was too late to stop her, though he knew her intentions in an instant. Without touching him, Kari brushed her lips against his, fleetingly, as if like a butterfly. Leaving a rather flustered L behind as she made her way out the door.  
  
 _Damn idiots. They interrupted my time with L and haven't the sense to know that I don't want to be worshiped!_    
  
Kari went back to her room to retrieve her purse before she went outside; once she was out of the building she dug in her purse for her gray phone. She walked several blocks before she even dared to turn it on; with so few on the streets except around the bronze figure, she figured it would be easy to make the call she intended to make. Finding an abandoned warehouse, she went inside, digging in her purse for a small TV on a watch band even as she hit the speed dial button for NBC. She turned on the small TV and set the captions on, turning the volume down as far as it would go.   
  
"NBC operative, how may I help you?"   
  
"This is Kira. Get me on the air for a national broadcast."   
  
"Right away." Kari fiddled with the channel on the TV watch, changing it to the right channel in time to read the caption:  
  
We interrupt this broadcast for a special bulletin. Kira is on the phone and wishes to make an announcement.  
  
Kari waited a heartbeat before she spoke.  
  
"I am Kira." She said in a low, sultry voice and watched her words appear on the wrist watch. Satisfied, she went on.  
  
"I said before I had no plans to rule as Light Yagami once did. I do not want worshipers. I am not a god despite that I have eluded capture". L stood in front of the TV, watching the program with the other SPK members.   
  
"I risk a lot to create a world in which people do not have to fear for their lives as they walk down the streets or worry that their children will be taken from them by a kidnapper or any person consumed by evil thoughts." 

 

  
  
 _Kira... so, you've reacted faster then I had anticipated that you would._  L thought as he listened to the program.  
  
"To many this may make me seem to be evil myself. Yet, to create a world that is almost perfect, sacrifices must be made. I have nearly lost my own identity in using the Death Note, but I am not Light. His mind, though brilliant as far as intellect goes, couldn't handle the pressure; the responsibility. In the very end, if one is to believe police reports and Misa's movie, he went insane. I assure you that I am very sane and will remain so to act as your guide. Any who worship me should be punished." She paused, letting the words sink in a moment as the world watched.  
  
"I will not be the one who punishes them. If they truly are my followers then they will punish themselves appropriately. Peace to all and God bless." Kari shut off her phone and hurried back to the SPK headquarters where hundreds of people were dispersing in the streets; she ignored the many conversations that rippled through the crowd. Kari made sure her breathing was even before entering the building and passing the checkpoints. She held her purse loosely, but she made sure she seemed troubled as she glanced at the TV watch she'd bought earlier that day while she waited for the elevator to reach her floor.  
  
"L." Kari said as the elevator doors opened; behind him were Linder and Gevanni.  
  
"Where did you go?" L asked, clearly troubled at her sudden disappearance.  
  
"To get this. I thought it might come in handy." Kari said, holding up her wrist with the TV on it; the news was still on. She didn't hesitate to go on.  
  
"It occurred to me that we might need it to keep tabs on Kira. I caught the end of the broadcast in the store. I hadn't expected such a bold move so quickly." L looked thoughtful while the other two nodded slightly, but still seemed to have some doubts. There was really nothing she could do about that.  
  
 _As long as L is convinced it doesn't matter really what they think. They listen to him after all and L has never been wrong._  Kari thought as the three moved so she could exit the elevator. She went straight to her bedroom and to bed; wondering how much longer she could play the charade.


	6. Heart's Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the song "Will You Still Love Me?" By Chicago

Kari stood silent on her font porch. Only L was inside the house; no one had asked about the surveillance in the garage as she'd given them a tour and quoted a few prices of some pieces that were very nearly priceless as there were so few in existence. It hadn't been long after Kira had dispersed of the worshipers because of her disapproval - with only the most gutsy of them still secretly worshiping her - that Kira followers stormed L's headquarters. Only some of the crowd had been distracted when L had Gevanni and Rester rain money upon the unruly crowd. They had been forced to flee in the helicopters and, landing in the cover of darkness at an airport only blocks from Kari's home, they had gone to her house to set up a temporary base. It was four in the morning now and Kari found that she couldn't sleep. The predawn light slowly crept across the land, illuminating the snow covered ground, making it gleam like thousands of diamonds. Kari was sure that L was still asleep until she heard the sound of a voice behind her, singing softly, much to her surprise. Kari turned to see L even as the song played in the background, so softly was it playing that she barely heard it above him.  
  
"Take me as I am. Put your hand in mine; now and forever. Darling here I stand, stand before you now. Deep inside I always knew. It was you, you and me. Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny. It was you and you for me. Every road leads to your door, every step I take, forever more. Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life. I've got a lot of love and I don't want to let go. " Kari knew the song instantly, she hadn't heard it in a long time, but she knew it.  
  
"Will you still love me for the rest of my life? 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on, I can't go on if I'm on my own." To Kari, his voice, if slightly off key, was the sweetest sound then.  
  
"Take me as I am, put your heart in mine; stay with me forever. 'Cause I am just a man, who never understood, I never had a thing to prove."  
  
_No.... you never did have to prove yourself to me._  Kari thought fleetingly; barely registering the thought.   
  
"There was you, you and me, that it all came clear, so suddenly, how close to you that I want to be. Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life. I got a lot of love and I don't want to let go. Will you still love me for the rest of my life?"  
  
_Yes, always._ Kari thought with some sadness, knowing what could come between them.  
  
" 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on, I can't go on if I'm my own. Do you believe in love that could run so long? Do you believe that love could pass you by? There was no special one for me; I was the lonely one you see, but then my heart lost all control. Now you're all that I know." L had practiced the song for a while in secret; no one had known about it.  
  
"Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life. I've got a lot of love and I don't want to let go. Will you still love me for the rest of my life? 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on, I can't go on if I'm on my own. I can't go on, not I can't go on. 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on without somebody to call my own. Just say you'll love me so I'll never be alone." For the longest time, Kari didn't say or do anything, but she didn't have to for L to know that it had meant a great deal to her. Unable to express her feelings in words, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him; this time it was no fleeting kiss and L was prepared for it. He encircled her within his arms, ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him he was playing a very dangerous game. That things were not as he wished they were and that there was a fire in her that was more then just the flame between the two of them that had been sparked that day with the accidental kiss; their first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so this one doesn't have seven chapters... but I couldn't simply write another chapter for this "book" and it's kind of really hard to follow up this chapter... so... yeah... ^^;
> 
>  
> 
> still hope you enjoyed it!


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